Allons au zoo !Class 9 French Chapter 2 Notes – Maharashtra Board

Summary: Allons au zoo !

2.1 Jean takes the two Indian friends by metro to the Parc des Félins. Rucha is surprised to see wolves; Jean says Europe has wolves and deer, and bears in the north. Karan lists India's animals — tigers, lions, elephants, bears, monkeys — and Rucha adds snakes. In summer the animals stay outdoors; in winter they go into cages.

On Sunday Jean plans a trip to Parc Astérix to see sharks and seals. At the aquarium Rucha is amazed by a huge orca from the North Pole, and Karan hurries everyone to the dolphin show.

2.2–2.4 Expressing admiration (Quel beau spectacle ! Quelle surprise ! Que c'est magnifique !), the elephant's place in Indian culture, wild-animal names and the four directions (nord, sud, est, ouest).

2.5 Grammar: the futur proche = present of aller + infinitive (affirmative, negative, question); stressed / disjunctive pronouns moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles; the imperative; the irregular verbs prendre (apprendre, comprendre) and voir.

2.6 Exercises practise all of this plus directions, a recipe translation and the [t] sound; 2.7 Civilisation presents Project Tiger, India's plan to save its national animal, and the poem 'Le Pachyderme' about the elephant.

Key points to remember

• Wild animals: le loup, le cerf, l'ours, le tigre, le lion, l'éléphant, le singe, le serpent, le requin, le phoque, le dauphin, l'orque (orca)
• Directions: le nord, le sud, l'est, l'ouest
• Admiration: Quel / Quelle + noun ! — Que c'est + adjective ! — Qu'il est grand !
• Futur proche = aller (present) + infinitive: Nous allons visiter le musée
• Negative futur proche: ne + aller + pas + infinitive — Je ne vais pas finir
• Question: Vas-tu descendre ? Va-t-il descendre ? (add -t- between two vowels)
• Stressed pronouns: moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles — for emphasis, after a preposition, after que
• Imperative = tu / nous / vous forms without the subject: Parle ! Descendons ! Faites !
• prendre: je prends, nous prenons, ils prennent (same for apprendre, comprendre)
• voir: je vois, nous voyons, vous voyez, ils voient

Allons au zoo ! – Notes

1. 2.1 The dialogue — wild animals near Paris

• Jean Lecombe goes with Karan and Rucha to the Parc des Félins; they travel by metro. Rucha did not expect wolves; Jean explains that wolves and deer live in Europe and bears in the north of Europe, and asks whether India has them too ('Chez vous, y a-t-il … ?').
• Karan proudly answers yes — and also tigers, lions, elephants, bears (smaller ones) and monkeys. Rucha reminds him about snakes. Jean adds that in summer the animals are outside, but in winter they are kept in cages.
• Next Sunday, Jean will take them to Parc Astérix to see sharks (requins) and seals (phoques). In front of the aquarium Rucha exclaims at the size of a big 'fish' — Jean says it is an orca that comes from the North Pole. (Strictly, an orca is a sea mammal, not a fish.)
• Karan notices that a dolphin show is about to start: 'Il va y avoir un spectacle … Allons-y !' — notice the futur proche.
• Key phrases: Ah oui ! — Chez vous (in your country / at your place) — Y a-t-il … ? (Is there / are there …?) — Il va y avoir … (there is going to be …) — Ils vont voir … (they are going to see …) — Allons-y ! (let's go!).

2. 2.2–2.4 Admiration, elephants in India, vocabulary

• To admire something: Quel beau spectacle ! (What a beautiful show!) — Quelle surprise ! — Que c'est magnifique ! (How wonderful it is!). quel / quelle agree with the noun: quel zoo, quelle girafe, quels animaux, quelles cages.
• 2.3 In France people see elephants only in zoos, while in India they live in forests. Indian elephants are important in temples and are decorated with jewels on festival days; some carry wood, and in wildlife reserves tourists can ride on an elephant's back. The elephant holds a special place in Indian culture.
• Wild animals: un singe (monkey), un ours (bear), un serpent (snake), un tigre (tiger), un loup (wolf), un cerf (deer), un lion, un éléphant; sea animals: un requin (shark), un phoque (seal), un dauphin (dolphin), une orque / un orca (killer whale).
• Directions (les points cardinaux): le nord, le sud, l'est, l'ouest — au nord de l'Europe (in the north of Europe), le pôle Nord (the North Pole).
• Giving directions (Ex. IX): prenez la rue …, continuez tout droit (straight on), tournez à gauche / à droite, jusqu'au carrefour (up to the crossroads), passez par … (go past …).

3. 2.5 Grammar — le futur proche

• Use: an action that is going to happen soon — like English 'going to'. Form: subject + present tense of aller + infinitive of the main verb.
• aller in the present: je vais, tu vas, il / elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils / elles vont. Example with regarder: Je vais regarder un film, nous allons regarder un film, elles vont regarder un film.
• Negative: ne … pas goes around aller, never around the infinitive — Je ne vais pas sortir, nous n'allons pas sortir (n' before a vowel).
• Questions: Est-ce que je vais sortir ? or inversion — Vas-tu sortir ? Allons-nous sortir ? Allez-vous sortir ? Vont-ils sortir ? With il / elle add -t-: Va-t-il sortir ? Va-t-elle sortir ?
• Time words that go well with it: ce soir, demain, ce weekend, la semaine prochaine, bientôt.

4. 2.5 Grammar — stressed (tonic / disjunctive) pronouns

• je → moi, tu → toi, il → lui, elle → elle, nous → nous, vous → vous, ils → eux, elles → elles.
• As a pronom tonique, it stresses the subject: Moi, je suis élève. Toi, tu aimes le cricket ? Sophie, elle, elle préfère la danse.
• As a pronom disjoint, it comes after a preposition: Je vais au marché avec mes cousins → avec eux; C'est pour Anne → pour elle; chez moi, chez toi.
• After que in a comparison: Il est plus âgé que sa sœur → plus âgé qu'elle; Tu cours aussi vite que moi.

5. 2.5 Imperative and the verbs prendre, voir

• The imperative gives orders, advice or directions. Use the present tense of tu, nous or vous without the subject: Mange ! Partons ! Écoutez ! For -er verbs the tu form drops the -s: tu parles → Parle !
• Negative imperative: Ne + verb + pas — Ne touche pas les animaux ! Ne prenons pas l'ascenseur ! Ne courez pas dans le couloir !
• prendre (to take): je prends, tu prends, il / elle prend, nous prenons, vous prenez, ils / elles prennent (double n). apprendre (to learn) and comprendre (to understand) follow exactly the same pattern.
• voir (to see): je vois, tu vois, il / elle voit, nous voyons, vous voyez, ils / elles voient. Note the y in nous and vous.

6. 2.6–2.7 Exercises, sounds and civilisation

• Phonetics — the letter t: it is heard in Thomas, foot, natation, très, recette, thé (th = [t]); it is silent at the end of words like chantent, fait, enfant, intelligent, lait, et; and in -tion it sounds [s] (natation). In a liaison it is heard: Cet‿enfant, Ils ont‿une.
• Tongue twisters: 'Trois tortues trottaient sur un trottoir très étroit' and 'Ta tante t'attend dans ta tente' — great for practising t.
• Recipe (Ex. XV) uses the imperative: cassez les œufs, coupez, ajoutez, battez, versez, faites cuire, servez chaud.
• 2.7 Civilisation — Project Tiger: the tiger is India's national animal but has become an endangered species (une espèce en voie de disparition). Project Tiger is the Indian government's programme to save and protect it; the tiger is a symbol of India's richness and plays a key role in the environment.
• Poem 'Le Pachyderme' (Dr. Roma Kirpalani): in France elephants are seen at the zoo, but in India they are everywhere — near temples and in herds in the forest; the elephant is also Lord Ganesh, a sacred animal and a symbol of kindness (la bonté).

Le futur proche — aller + infinitif

Key terms

Allons au zoo ! – Flashcards

Read the question, answer it in your head, then tap the card to check. 20 cards.

Allons au zoo ! – MCQ Quiz

15 questions. Tap an option — you will see at once if it is right and why.

How to study Allons au zoo !

⏱ About 1 hour 15 minutes

1. Dialogue and animals (20 min)
   Read 2.1 aloud, list every animal with its article and learn the four directions and the three ways to admire something.
2. Grammar (30 min)
   Conjugate aller + infinitive in all three forms, write the table of stressed pronouns, and say prendre and voir aloud until they flow.
3. Practise (25 min)
   Work through the 'Try it yourself' exercises, take the quiz, revise with flashcards and finish with 🎮 Play.